Major Data of China's 1% National Population Sampling Survey,1995

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Association between obesity and self-reported diseases: Population-based study among adults in southern Brazil

Introduction: There are few population-based studies conducted in Brazil outside the major urban centers, the prevalence of overweight, obesity and associated factors in the up country cities remains not noticed. Particularly, the characteristics of this phenomenon are unknown in the mountain regions of Santa Catarina (state of the southern region), which concentrate the lowest economic and social development of the state, where culture, dietary habits and climate are quite peculiar. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of nutritional status and its association with self-reported diseases in adults of Lages, Santa Catarina. Methods: A cross sectional study including adults was conducted (n = 2022). Demographic information was collected as well as anthropometric measurements, through a number of interviews and physical examinations. The outcome of the study was the body mass index (BMI). The descriptive statistic was performed, as well as simple associations between BMI and the independent variables by sex. Correlations between BMI, abdominal circumference and self-reported diseases for men and women were tested separately. Results: The prevalence of normal weight, overweight and obesity among men was 41%, 39% and 19% respectively. Among women, the prevalence rates were 43%, 31% and 26%. It was observed that the obesity increase is correlated with low levels of education. The greater the BMI the more negative was the self-assessment of health. It was found a positive correlation between BMI and abdominal circumference, with diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure levels. Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in Lages, SC. Strategies involving the various sectors of the community should be considered to reverse this process.

Update on the status of wolverines in China

The wolverine, Gulogulo, is an endangered species in China. This is the first report of the overall status of wolverines in China. The geographic distribution and population sizes of wolverines in the Greater Khingan and Altai Mountains were surveyed by line transect from1996–2000 and in 2011, respectively. We identified two geographically distinct groups in the Great Khingan Mountains, with a total population size of about 200 individuals throughout the region（approximately80,000 km^2）. Wolverines were also confirmed to be present in the Altai Mountains, where about 100 individuals occupied approximately 28,000 km^2 of mountain forest and tundra. Prey depletion and habitat loss, which are correlated with increasing human activities, are the main reasons for wolverine population declines in China.

Optimal AK composite estimators in current population survey

The Current Population Survey(CPS)is a monthly household sample survey with a sample consisting of eight rotation groups.Sampled individuals of a rotation group are interviewed four consecutive months and another four consecutive months after resting eight consecutive months.A composite-type estimator is adopted in the CPS for the estimation of the monthly population total,which combines sample information from the current month’s survey and previous months using the fact that 75%households have data for two consecutive months.There are two values,A and K,in the composite estimator to decide how to combine the available information,and thus this estimator is called the AK composite estimator.In this paper,we use a formula of the meansquared error of AK composite estimator and propose an easy-to-use method of choosing A and K based on data,which evolves the estimation of some population quantities using the method of moments and replication.Some numerical studies are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Development of an eDNA metabarcoding tool for surveying the world’s largest amphibian

Due to the overexploitation of farming,as well as habitat destruction,the wild population of Chinese giant salamander(CGS)Andrias davidianus,a species with seven genetically distinct lineages,has decreased by over 80%in the past 70 years.Traditional survey methods have proven to be unsuitable for finding this rare and elusive species.We evaluated the efficacy of environmental DNA(eDNA)sampling to detect CGS indirectly from its aquatic environment.We developed several species-specific primer sets;validated their specificity and sensitivity;and assessed their utility in silico,in the laboratory,and at two field sites harboring released farm-bred CGS.We detected the presence of CGS DNA by using polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing.We also sequenced an amplicon mixture of seven haplotype-represented samples using high-throughput sequencing.Our eDNA methods could detect the presence of CGS at moderate densities reported across its range,proving them as a cost-effective way to establish broad-scale patterns of occupancy for CGS.In addition,our primers enabled the detection of mitochondrial lineage mixture or introduced individuals from geographically isolated populations of CGS.

Pesticide exposures and respiratory health in general populations

Human exposures to pesticides can occur in the workplace,in the household and through the ambient environment.While several articles have reviewed the impact of pesticide exposures on human respiratory health in occupational settings,to the best of our knowledge,this article is the first one to review published studies on the association between pesticide exposures and human respiratory health in the general populations.In this article,we critically reviewed evidences up to date studying the associations between non-occupational pesticide exposures and respiratory health in general populations.This article also highlighted questions arising from these studies,including our recent analyses using the data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey（CHMS）,for future research.We found few studies have addressed the impact of environmental pesticide exposures on respiratory health,especially on lung function,in general populations.In the studies using the data from CHMS Cycle 1,exposures to OP insecticides,pyrethroid insecticides,and the organochlorine pesticide DDT were associated with impaired lung function in the Canadian general population,but no significant associations were observed for the herbicide 2,4-D.Future research should focus on the potential age-specific and pesticide-specific effect on respiratory health in the general population,and repeated longitudinal study design is critical for assessing the temporal variations in pesticide exposures.Research findings from current studies of non-occupational pesticide exposures and their health impact in general population will help to improve the role of regulatory policies in mitigating pesticide-related public health problems,and thereafter providing greater benefit to the general population.

Multi-outcome longitudinal small area estimation-a case study

A recent paper [Thibaudeau, Slud, and Gottschalck (2017). Modeling log-linear conditional probabilities for estimation in surveys. The Annals of Applied Statistics, 11, 680–697] proposed a ‘hybrid’method of survey estimation combining coarsely cross-classified design-based survey-weightedtotals in a population with loglinear or generalised-linear model-based conditional probabilitiesfor cells in a finer cross-classification. The models were compared in weighted and unweightedforms on data from the US Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a large nationallongitudinal survey. The hybrid method was elaborated in a book-chapter [Thibaudeau, Slud,& Cheng (2019). Small-area estimation of cross-classified gross flows using longitudinal survey data. In P. Lynn (Ed.), Methodology of longitudinal surveys II. Wiley] about estimating grossflows in (two-period) longitudinal surveys, by considering fixed versus mixed effect versionsof the conditional-probability models and allowing for 3 or more outcomes in the later-periodcategories used to define gross flows within generalised logistic regression models. The methodology provided for point and interval small-area estimation, specifically area-level two-periodlabour-status gross-flow estimation, illustrated on a US Current Population Survey (CPS) datasetof survey respondents in two successive months in 16 states. In the current paper, that data analysis is expanded in two ways: (i) by analysing the CPS dataset in greater detail, incorporatingmultiple random effects (slopes as well as intercepts), using predictive as well as likelihood metrics for model quality, and (ii) by showing how Bayesian computation (MCMC) provides insightsconcerning fixed- versus mixed-effect model predictions. The findings from fixed-effect analyseswith state effects, from corresponding models with state random effects, and fom Bayes analysisof posteriors for the fixed state-effects with other model coefficients fixed, all confirm each otherand support a model with normal random state effects, independent across states.

Trends in serum lipid levels of healthy Chinese in Shanghai from 1973 to 1999

We assessed the secular trends in the serum lipid levels in Shanghai residents from 1973 to 1999.Data from four independent,cross-sectional,population-based surveys were used to analyze the trends in serum lipid levels from 1973 to 1999.A standard protocol was applied across each survey in at least three independent surveys which were separated a 10-year study period.A total of 10733(1385,3302,2399,and 3647 subjects who had complete data on serum lipids in 1973-1974,1982,1983 and 1997-1999,respectively)Shanghai residents aged from newborn to 80 years old were enlisted at random.Serum lipid levels were measured in a single laboratory throughout the entire study period.A nonsignificant increase was noted from 1973-1974 to 1982-1983 in the serum lipid profiles;however,a significant increase was observed from 1982-1983 to 1997-1999 in most of the age groups of both sexes.Mean serum total cholesterol(TC)levels increased significantly(P<0.05)over the entire study period(overall period covered:1973-1999)in most age groups of both sexes.In males,the changes were from 7.3%to 23.2%and in females,from 9.0%to 21.6%,except in umbilical blood samples and in females over 60 years where insignificant results were observed.Similar trends were observed in the mean serum triglyceride(TG)and the mean serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c)levels,both in females and males.The majority show an upward trend.As for TGs,the changes were from 27.5%to 82.7%in males and from 13.2%to 54.6%in females.As for LDL-c the changes were from 34.9%to 71.0%in males and from 31.9%to 63.6%in females.Mean serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-c)levels were decreased significantly from 1982-1983 to 1997-1999,with the changes from 213.2%to 238.6%in males and from 29.8%to 221.7%in females.The ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(TC/HDL-c)increased dramatically during this period because of a concurrent decline in the levels of HDL-c and the increase in the levels of TC.The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia(To achieve the normal range of serum TC and TG in healthy people of Shanghai,we determined the cut-off point in the cumulative frequency curve as the 95%percentile of the data collected by the survey in 1973-1974.The results show that the 95%cut-off point for TC was 220 mg/dL,while for TG,it was 160 mg/dL.)increased significantly(P<0.05).In males aged 20 to 40 years old,the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was from 1.6%to 7.79%,and in ages>40 it was from 5.5%to 11.57%.In females,it was 0 to 4.68%and 6.5%to 16.2%,respectively.In general,the trends in the levels of TC,TG and LDL-c were increasing and trends in the levels of HDL-c were decreasing in most age groups,especially,in the younger age group of Shanghai residents from 1980s to 1990s.These worrying findings are significant for its public health implications.Health education and health promotion are necessary to prevent the disease prevalence from rising in the Chinese population.